Kingdom For A Kiss
by IndianSummer
Summary: Nine years ago, Brooke Davis left Tree Hill. Now she's come back to raise her daughter in her childhood home. There's only one person who has been there for her all along, but what will it take for her to realize he's all the home she needs?
1. Chapter One

Title: Kingdom for a Kiss  
Disclaimer: We have no affiliations with Warner Bros. Television Production, One Tree Hill or Tollin/Robbins Productions.  
Summary: Nine years ago, Brooke Davis left Tree Hill. Now she's come back to raise her daughter in her childhood home. There's only one person who has been there for her all along, but what will it take for her to realize he's all the home she needs?  
Author's Note: This fanfiction is a joint effort between myself [Summer, Indian Summer] and Joan [bibleboymary4ever]. Reviews are greatly appreciated, and will help the second chapter come faster! This fanfiction will be centered around the relationships between Lucas Scott, Brooke Davis and Nathan Scott. The character Elissa Natalie Scott is all ours.

.

.

* * *

She'd told her eight year old daughter they were going home, to where Mommy had grown up. But as Brooke Davis led Elissa to Baggage Claim, she realized how false the statement had been. Tree Hill wasn't home to her, not anymore.  
  
"Mom," Elissa called, grabbing Brooke's hand. "Look!"  
  
Brooke scanned the crowd as Elissa pulled her to the right and her eyes locked with a blue pair. Nathan Scott. A smile spread across her face as Elissa broke away from her and ran to Nathan, encircling her arms around his waist.  
  
She started to walk over as he picked Elissa up into a bear hug. "Nathan," she greeted, giving him a friendly hug. "Thanks for coming."  
  
He gave her an easy smile and gestured to four suitcases on the ground next to him. "I already got your luggage for you. But come on, Brooke. Four suitcases?"  
  
"Thanks," Brooke responded, pulling up the handle on one of the suitcases.   
  
"There's more coming," Elissa chimed in. "Did you think we could really fit everything we own into four suitcases?"  
  
Nathan laughed, kissing Elissa's forehead. "You're getting to be more and more like your mom everyday, you know that?"

.

.  
Brooke set her suitcase down on the stoop, taking the key out of the white envelope she had gotten it in. She turned the key into the lock and pushed open the oversized white door. A familiar scent wafted through the air, and she recognized it immediately as her mother's perfume, Chanel Number Five. She bit her lip as she lifted the suitcase up and hoisted it into the foyer.   
  
Elissa gazed curiously around the entranceway. "So this is where you grew up?"  
  
"Yeah," Brooke replied uneasily.  
  
Nathan tried to brighten the mood, "Hey, remember how much fun we had here when we were kids?"  
  
She nodded in response. "We had some crazy parties." She glanced towards Elissa, who was now wandering around and peeking her head into the dining and living rooms.  
  
"You set me up with Peyton at your 13th birthday party right over there." He gestured towards the couch in the living room.  
  
Brooke groaned, "Look how that turned out. I swear, it was the last time I ever set anyone up."  
  
Nathan shrugged, "Nah. You set Haley and I up."  
  
Brooke was about to respond when a buxom Hispanic woman walked in. "Miss Brooke?"  
  
"Oh my god! Rosa! You're, like, still here!" Brooke was genuinely surprised to see her old maid and confidante still working at the house.  
  
"Si, senorita, Xavier and I are living in the guest house with Talia and Margaret. He still do all the gardening and Talia still clean. Margaret started working for your mother about three years ago, she is a cook."  
  
Brooke hadn't gotten over the initial shock that most everything had stayed the same. Well, except one teeny thing. She paused apprehensively. "Rosa—before my Mom, uh, died…did she mention Elissa or me?"  
  
Rosa looked upset. "She was very sad after you leave. She love you very much."  
  
"Oh." Brooke hadn't really regretted leaving her mother until she had died, and Brooke realized that she would never get an apology.  
  
"Excuse me, Miss Brooke. I need to finish the bathroom." Rosa gestured toward a door before she scurried off.  
  
Brooke turned back towards Nathan. "So, can you stay for a bit? Talk?"  
  
He pushed the sleeve of his shirt up as he checked the time on his wristwatch. "Yup, Haley doesn't expect me home for another twenty minutes."  
  
Brooke walked toward the couch and Nathan sat down beside her.   
  
"Kay. So how's everything going?"  
  
"I'm good. Haley's good."  
  
"Did you try the whole therapy thing like I suggested?"   
  
He scratched the back of his neck. "Uh, you know how she is. We went to a few sessions but…" His voice trailed off and she couldn't help but notice how lost he looked, like the little boy she had once known.  
  
"Okay…"  
  
"Yeah, whatever." Nathan tried to shrug it off.   
  
"How's work?"  
  
"It's good. You'll never guess who I just signed a five year contract with!"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Lancome Cosmetics."  
  
"Nate!" She squealed, "That's great!"  
  
"Yeah," he nodded. "Oh, so I got you a job working on their print ads. I know it's a little different than what you were doing for me in London, but you'll catch on quickly."  
  
"Okay. Thanks soooo much, you know I owe you majorly."  
  
"Yeah, you do." Nathan grinned.  
  
Brooke glanced towards the clock on the wall. "It's 3:50; you should probably get home or Haley will worry."  
  
"You're right. Sorry, Brooke. Tell Liss I said bye, kay?"  
  
"Kay. Bye." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and left, firmly shutting the door behind him.  
.

.  
Nathan returned to his modest two story home in a much better mood than he'd been in the last few weeks. "Hales, I'm home," he called, kicking off his shoes.  
  
He heard a muffled reply from their room and headed up the stairs. "I had to go to the office," he said as he reached the room, cracking the door open. "I'm sorry I didn't call. I was-" He stopped as he saw her kneeling by the bed with a shoebox in her hands. "What are you doing?"  
  
She looked toward him slowly, a pained expression on her face. "Who is this?" she asked, taking a picture from the box and holding it up for him to see.  
  
Nathan froze. "Where did you find those?"  
  
"I was looking for an old dress, and I found them in the back corner of the closet."  
  
Nathan took the picture from her and placed it back in the box. "You weren't supposed to see these," he said quietly, closing the box.  
  
"Who is she, Nathan? Why were you hiding them from me?"  
  
He wasn't sure how to respond. The shoebox was full of all the letters and pictures Brooke had sent and Elissa's drawings. He'd never expected Haley to find them. "It's not like that, Haley. I wasn't hiding them."  
  
"Is she your daughter?" A single tear slipped down Haley's cheek and she wiped it away quickly.  
  
Nathan sighed. "Hales…"  
  
"This copy of her birth certificate, Nathan. She'd be eight years old. Has our whole marriage been a lie? Have you been running off to your other family every time you tell me you're going away on business? Is that what this is about?"  
  
"Haley, I swear this isn't what it looks like…"  
  
Haley's gaze hardened and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Then tell me what it looks like, Nathan. Because to me, it seems like you've been keeping in very close contact with Brooke Davis. And your daughter."  
  
"Haley…"  
  
Haley shook her head, no longer trying to hold back her tears. "Every time I apologized to you, Nathan, and told you I was sorry I couldn't give you kids. All of those times you just sat there, knowing you already had one!"  
  
He wished she'd yell or hit him or do anything other than this. "Haley, this isn't-"  
  
"Get out of my house, Nathan. Get out now!"  
  
Nathan bowed his head and left the room as Haley's lip quivered and she sank onto the bed. No one could say they hadn't tried.  
.

.  
Nathan pressed down on the doorbell, listening as the sound rang throughout the house. Rosa opened the door, smiling at him. He opened his mouth to thank her as Brooke bounded down the stairs.   
  
"Hey Christopher Robin! Back so soon? What, you couldn't get enough of the fabulous Davis family?" She was grinning, and he was struck by how carefree she looked. She had changed into black sweatpants and a pink tank top, and her hair was loosely pulled back into a ponytail. Brooke looked more like the 24 year old she was than the mother of an eight year old.  
  
Nathan swayed in his position in front of the door. "Well, yeah, Pooh. Just had to make sure you hadn't ran back off to London." He was joking, but Brooke could sense a tone of sadness in his voice, and she knew something was up.  
  
She cocked one eyebrow up into the air. "Seriously, Nate, what's up?"  
  
"Uh…Haley just kicked me out." Nathan couldn't believe it had actually happened. They had always fought but they tried so hard to salvage their marriage. He had truly believed that they could live happily ever after. Maybe he was wrong.  
  
"Oh my god! What happened? It's only been like half an hour."  
  
"She found my Liss box." He reflected on how stupid it had been of him to hide all of those treasures in plain view. Maybe he should have gotten a safe at the bank.  
  
"Aw, you have a box for Elissa?"  
  
"Yeah, it had all the letters you sent me...the scrapbook with all her pictures…the drawings and she made me…"  
  
Brooke bit her lip, suddenly feeling very guilty. "So, it's basically my fault that you're homeless?"  
  
"No! You know Elissa needs me. I need you both just as much." He paused. "Haley didn't even give me a chance to explain the truth. She just wanted to wallow in the fact that I had a secret. But you know what? It's not my secret. It's yours." He shook his head. "No, Brooke, you didn't do anything wrong. All you've done is loved your kid."  
  
She gave him a weak smile, as her eyes welled up. "I don't know, Natie. I think moving back here was a huge mistake. My Dad's in London, Elissa's friends, her school…our lives aren't in Tree Hill anymore. We haven't even been here an hour and already our presence is causing problems!" She tried to laugh, but the situation was all too serious.  
  
"Your Mom wanted you to come back."  
  
Brooke rolled her eyes. "She's dead. Besides, she's had nine years to forgive me. She wanted me to have an abortion! She wanted to kill Elissa! No one can hurt my baby girl. No one." Nathan knew this was a sore subject. Brooke had had a rocky childhood, and she desperately wanted her daughter's to be different. "But, whatever, right? What's done is done. It's all in the past now." She blinked away the tears, hoping her mascara wouldn't run.  
  
She tried to calm down and speak rationally. "You can stay here, with us. There's plenty of guest rooms, it would be stupid not to use one."  
  
Nathan smiled in return, and she felt her heart ache. "Thanks."  
  
Brooke tried to shrug it off. "It's no big deal." But it was.   
  
Brooke could no longer stop the tears as they started to stream down her face. She gave him a tight smile as black streaks of mascara spilled onto her cheeks. Nathan leaned over and gave her a tight hug, not caring that her tears and makeup were staining his cashmere sweater. Brooke was a mess when she was upset, but Nathan didn't mind. She was always beautiful to him.  
.

.  
Whenever something had gone wrong in her life, Haley had always turned to Lucas. So after Nathan left, Haley had immediately called Lucas and crying, had asked him to come over. He'd arrived within ten minutes.  
  
Now, sitting at her dining room table with Lucas, Haley wasn't sure if she'd done the right thing. Was it fair to drag Lucas into this? Brooke had been his girlfriend.  
  
"Haley, what happened? You know you can tell me." His voice was gentle and his eyes prodding.  
  
"I don't know, Lucas. I'm going to file for divorce."  
  
Lucas didn't try to contest this. He just looked at her with a silent understanding. "What happened?"  
  
Haley shook her head angrily, thinking of what she'd felt when she found the box. "Our whole marriage was a lie, Lucas." She ran a tissue under her eyes, sopping up her tears before she looked back at him. "He has a kid."  
  
Lucas' eyes widened. "Haley, are you sure? Maybe you just misunderstood."  
  
Haley smiled sadly. "There's nothing to misunderstand, Lucas. I asked him and he couldn't even deny it. She's eight years old. Which means she would've been conceived around the time we got married."  
  
"Wow." Lucas scratched the top of his head, clearly surprised. "Where is she? Whose is she?"  
  
"Her name's Elissa Natalie. She lives in London with her mom. I found a bunch of letters and stuff. He visits them, Lucas."  
  
"God, Haley."  
  
"There's more, Lucas." She paused, looking him straight in the eyes. "Her mother is Brooke Davis."


	2. Chapter Two

The flat Nathan had visited so often had little in common with Brooke's childhood home. He glanced around the large sitting room, looking for any sign that people had once lived here, that a child had been raised here. The room was dull. The color scheme looked bland, with just beige and black, and it stuck him how impersonal it felt. There were no pictures hanging on the walls, no mementos on the spotless shelves.

It was like a museum. Nathan tried hard to remember any run-in he'd had with Brooke's mother, but aside from the occasional country club event or fancy party from his childhood, there was nothing to remember. Mrs. Davis had kept to herself, hardly home and unlikely to leave the house when she was.

"Hey Christopher Robin! Have a good night's sleep?"

Brooke's perky voice drew him from his thoughts as she plopped down next to him, handing him a cup of coffee then squeezing his shoulder in a hug-like gesture. "I didn't expect you to be up. The sun's still rising."

"Yeah, well, it's my only free time. Being a mom's a full time job, you know." Brooke said, studying him. "What are you doing up?"

Nathan stared out the window as the sun started to peek over the trees, imbuing the sky with brilliant yellows and oranges. "Thinking." He heaved a great sigh. "I've seen it coming for a while now, you know. But it's still weird to think Haley's actually leaving me."

Brooke was silent, but Nathan could feel her eyes trained on his face. "There's nothing you can do?" she finally asked softly.

"No," Nathan shook his head to emphasize his response. He paused, for once uncertain if he should tell Brooke everything. "I don't know if I want to," he said quietly, the words slipping, unbidden, from his lips.

Brooke made a small sound, but Nathan was unable to understand it. "What do you mean?"

"We're not teenagers anymore, Brooke," he said resignedly, his voice surprising him with its strength. "I'm not the same person, and neither is she. I can't keep fooling myself into believing everything's fixable, that everything will be all right. I'm not the same naïve kid I was at sixteen."

"You were never naïve," Brooke offered. "No naïve teenager files- and wins- a petition for emancipation from his parents."

"Case in point," Nathan responded. "Where was I a year later?"

Brooke pursed her lips. "Married."

He nodded, turning to look at her. "No realistic teenager gets married in high school."

Brooke sighed, placing a hand gently over his. "Well, then, I was in the same boat as you." She offered him a half-smile, adding, "What realistic teenager gets pregnant at sixteen and figures everything will work out okay?"

"Everything did work out okay. For you."

"Case in point," Brooke mimicked. "It was hard, Nathan. But I made it work. And you can too."

Nathan sighed, kissing Brooke lightly on the crown of her head. "I'm not you, Brooke. And Haley… well, she's not you, either."  
.  
.

"My feet hurt," Elissa complained for what felt like the thousandth time in the last ten minutes.

Nathan looked down at her. The nine year old was wearing a pair of loose fitting black pants and a purple tank top, with black platform sandals. The large sunglasses perched on top of her dark chestnut hair added to her sophistication. The pink backpack he'd bought for her moments ago was the only sign of her true age. "Your mom told me you were just like her," he responded.

Elissa rolled her eyes dramatically, narrowing them to slits as they fell on him. Well, she certainly got _that_ from Brooke. "Mom doesn't walk so fast. I have to take two steps for every one of yours! My feet are going to fall off!"

"I doubt that," Nathan said, nevertheless slowing down. "Tell you what? We'll go get ice cream to reward you for your suffering."

Elissa nodded, but her eyes were still narrowed. "_Reward _me for being in pain? Unbelievable."

He held her gaze as they continued to walk, trying to figure out if she was really upset. Her eyes slowly opened wider, a mischievous glint becoming evident. Against her will, the corners of her mouth twitched upwards, until she was smiling. Blue met blue.

"Fine," Elissa said dramatically, loosing all pretense of anger. "But you owe me big time!"

Nathan smiled. "To be paid in the form of a large chocolate ice cream cone, right?"

She nodded, grabbing his arm to slow him down more. "Yep. How much further?"

Try as he may, he couldn't keep his smile from becoming a full-fledged grin with Elissa's tiny hand in his. He'd expected her to be colder toward him, at least at first. "It's just around the…"

His words drained off as his head snapped back up, landing on a familiar face. Reddish hair and wide brown eyes. "The, uh, corner," he finished lamely, staring at her. "Uh, hi, Haley," he said, instinctively pulling Elissa closer.

Haley's eyes flickered on Elissa, and her gaze turned sad. "Nathan," she said, her voice surprisingly devoid of emotion.

Nathan bit his lip, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "Haley, this is Elissa… Elissa, Haley."

Elissa paused, picking up on the tension. "Hi, Haley," she said shyly, sticking out her hand.

Haley blinked slowly, then seemed to pull herself together. "Hi, Elissa," she said, taking Elissa's hand and shaking it hesitantly.

There was an awkward silence, and Nathan grew more restless. "I was, um, taking her for ice cream," Nathan offered quickly, yearning to break the silence.

Elissa nodded, looking up happily at Nathan. "He took me to get school stuff, too!" She squirmed out of the backpack she'd been wearing, holding it out for Haley to see. "Isn't it pretty? Look at the flowers!"

Haley nodded softly, bending over to touch the bag's purple flowers with the tips of her fingers. "Very pretty." Her eyes met Nathan's and she stood up. "Well, I have to go," she said quickly, shooting Nathan a pained look.

Nathan opened his mouth in protest, of what he wasn't sure, but she'd already brushed past him.

Elissa bit her lip, studying Nathan's face. "Uncle Nate?" she asked quietly, "Who was that?"

Nathan gave her his fake smile, the one he hadn't used since Dan had walked out of his life four years ago. "My wife," he answered, his voice almost as quiet as hers.  
.  
.

For the last six months, Lucas Scott had spent his days sitting in the café and attempting to write his third novel. So it was not hard for Haley to find her best friend when she desperately needed him.

She plopped down into the seat across from him with a dramatic sigh, and Lucas looked up. Her entrance had obviously surprised him.

"Bad day at school?"

"No, my students were all good today," Haley replied. "I swear, kindergarten is the best grade ever! They just play together and sometimes the boys and girls have little crushes but that's all it is! And they have play-dates and they can just eat their chocolate ice cream in peace! If they want to go to the mall for a little cup of ice cream, they can have it in peace."

Lucas looked at her strangely. "You lost me at the ice cream."

"I stopped by the mall after school today to pick up some more markers for tomorrow's art project. He was there, Luke! Nathan brought his…daughter for ice cream. He even bought her some school supplies. She had this adorable pink backpack with this purple flowers…and…and she was so proud of it, you know? She was so happy that he bought her this backpack." Haley's eyes were welling up with tears and Lucas wasn't quite sure how to respond.

"When I saw her with him there, I just felt so empty…Lucas. It felt like he was an entirely different person. I wanted to hate her but I couldn't. She's beautiful. She has the same brown hair as Nate and Brooke and these huge blue eyes. Elissa Natalie." Haley shook her head angrily.  
.  
.

Brooke grabbed her car keys and address book off of her desk and walked down to her car. Revving up the engine, she quickly retrieved the address to Nathan and Haley's house. Nathan had been moping ever since his fight with Haley, and Brooke hated to see him so miserable. She felt responsible for the pain she was causing him and Haley and desperately wanted to fix the situation.

She nervously shut off the car when she arrived at the destination and slowly walked to the door. Haley answered the door and her face turned to shock when she saw Brooke on the porch.

"Brooke Davis," she said slowly, the anger evident in her tone. "What are you doing here? My husband isn't enough, you want my home, too?"

No," Brooke insisted. "I'm not trying to steal Nate from you. It's not like he had to be a part of Elissa's life! I told him that from Day 1; I was perfectly confident raising her on my own. "

So why did you come back here? Or is it just some strange coincidence that you come back when my marriage is having problems?"

Brooke bit her lip. She knew Nathan and Haley were having problems, and, yes, that had been part of the reason she came. But she wanted to help them work through their issues! She didn't want to break them up!

"My Mother died," Brooke replied softly. "She left me the house, and I came back to settle her affairs."

"Oh." Haley's face softened.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Oh, please, Haley. Don't start being nice to me just because she's dead. I hadn't even spoken to her in nine years. She wanted to kill my daughter. No way in hell would I let anyone hurt Elissa."

Haley's anger flared at the mention of the child. "That little bastard. I can't believe you, Brooke. Keeping a secret from me? Nathan's wife? You knew we were married and you still carried on behind my back?"

"No! It's nothing like that. Haley, please. Let me explain?"

"No," Haley replied. Her voice sounded sad and distant. Brooke suddenly felt even more sympathy for Haley. What was Brooke doing here? "You've done enough explaining. Bye." She softly shut the door and Brooke collapsed against it, feeling defeated.

Haley had no idea.  
.  
.


	3. Lucky Charms and Revelations

Title: Kingdom for a Kiss

Disclaimer: We have no affiliations with Warner Bros. Television Production, One Tree Hill or Tollin/Robbins Productions. Nor do we own any name brands or cars mentioned in this. pause Well, we may own a car, but not the company.

Summary: Nine years ago, Brooke Davis left Tree Hill. Now she's come back to raise her daughter in her childhood home. There's only one person who has been there for her all along, but what will it take for her to realize he's all the home she needs?

Author's Note: This fanfiction is a joint effort between myself Summer, Indian Summer and Joan bibleboymary4ever. Reviews are greatly appreciated, and will help the second chapter come faster! This fanfiction will be centered around the relationships between Lucas Scott, Brooke Davis and Nathan Scott. The character Elissa Natalie Scott is all ours.  
.  
.  
.

Nathan slipped quietly down the hall, being sure not to wake Brooke or Elissa. He had become accustomed to waking early after years of living with Haley. As a student, and later as a teacher, she had always insisted at being the first in the school building. However, he also knew from experience how much Brooke enjoyed her time in bed and how hard it was to get Elissa to sleep.

As he passed Elissa's room, he noticed the door was ajar. He poked his head in and saw her content sleeping form, her dark brown hair spread across the pillow and her blue eyes, the only remnant of her Scott blood, tightly shut. Nathan couldn't help smiling to himself. From the day she was born, Liss was the only person who had loved him unconditionally, no matter what. Nathan would always value that.

He softly shut the door and walked down the steps to the foyer. After quickly scribbling a note to Brooke, he grabbed the keys to his Escalade and walked out of the house.  
.  
.  
.

Brooke's alarm rang shrilly and she groggily turned to shut it off. She got out of bed and, stretching her arms out, pulled her robe off its hook.

She walked down the hall yawning until she reached Elissa's door. Sitting down on her daughter's bed, she lightly stroked her hair. "Elissa Natalie, sweetie, it's time to wake up for school."

Elissa wrapped her arms around Brooke's waist, but her eyes remained shut. "Mmm, Mommy, I don't wanna get up."

"I know you don't; I didn't either. But you have to go to school and I have to go to work. Besides, Uncle Nathan promised he'd make your favorite dinner tonight."

Elissa's eyes flew open. "Frozen pizza?!"

"Yep and rocky road ice cream for dessert!" Brooke stood up and turned towards the door.

"Does he know to get the kind from Haagen Dazs?"

"Of course," Brooke replied. "That's the only kind worth getting! We've all been sharing it since you were still in here." Brooke rubbed her stomach as she offered her daughter a dimpled grin.

"Okay," Elissa flashed her dimples back at her mom. "I'll get up." She bound out of bed and Brooke left the room.

"Oh, Mom?"

"Yeah, honey?" Brooke poked her head back into the room.

"Wear your black skirt? With that pink stripey shirt? And I'll wear my black capris with my pink sweater so we can match!"

"Okay, babe. Waffles or eggs for breakfast?"

"Waffles, please!"

"Great, I'll go tell Margaret. Get dressed and pack your backpack."

Brooke's brown hair swished behind her as she exited and the two began their day.  
.  
.  
.

Grocery shopping for Brooke and Elissa was different than what Nathan was used to. When it had just been him and Haley, the food had always been bland- cottage cheese, salad, and tofurkey.

Brooke, on the other hand, had given him a long shopping list, consisting of everything from Lucky Charms to taco shells to frozen pizza. As Nathan wheeled his cart down the frozen foods aisle, it bucked under his grip, a too-tight front wheel squeaking as he fought the resistance.

"Can't even control a shopping cart, huh?"

Nathan turned at the voice, a familiar tension creeping into his shoulders. Lucas stood with his back against a freezer door, his eyebrows raised as he took in Nathan.

"Lucas," Nathan greeted, offering his half-brother a small nod. "How are you doing?"

Lucas exhaled sharply as he studied Nathan. "The better question would be how _Haley _is doing. You know, your wife?" Lucas' eyes narrowed as he met Nathan's gaze. "Or did you forget about her when you were looking after _my_ ex?"

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Someone's gotta look after her, Lucas. And I didn't forget about Haley."

"You forgot to tell her about your kid," Lucas said, looking pointedly at the box of Lucky Charms in Nathan's cart.

Nathan frowned. "My kid? And those are Brooke's." He gestured to a box of Cocoa Puffs. "Those are Elissa's."

Lucas ignored the second half of Nathan's comment. "When Brooke shows up with a kid who looks a hell of a lot like you... yeah."

Nathan's eyes widened, understanding suddenly dawning on him. "Elissa's not my daughter, Lucas." He paused. "She's nine. Think about it."  
.  
.  
.

Haley leaned back to pick her two tote bags out of the backseat. A purple marker rolled onto the ground and she groaned in frustration. She really hated Nathan's Porsche Boxster and silently cursed him for taking both the Escalade and the Mercedes Station Wagon with him.

She grabbed the two bags and her stray marker as she got up out of the car. A familiar navy blue station wagon swerved into a nearby spot, but the likelihood didn't immediately hit her. Haley walked determinedly into Tree Hill Elementary, trying her hardest not to think about Nathan.

A few parking spaces down, Brooke was losing her patience. "Elissa! You can't just not go to your class. It's the beginning of the year! I have to go to work and you have to get your education."

Elissa gave her a pointed look. "You were the one who told me you didn't learn anything important until you started university. Besides, you could just take me to work with you."

"No!" Brooke unbuckled her seat belt and leaned over to undo her daughter's. "No, you are going to school and you are going to like it." She opened her car door and motioned for Elissa to follow. "Come on!"

Elissa exhaled dramatically and grabbed the pink backpack she had gotten the day before. Swinging one strap over the other, she let her mother lead her into the school.

Brooke dropped Elissa off at her fourth grade classroom, giving her a quick hug before she wandered back down the hallway. She passed the various classrooms and saw the children grow smaller and more frightened. Brooke couldn't help but feel a little sad when she saw a blonde haired father hug his crying kindergartener. She bit her lip remorsefully as an angry voice entered her thoughts.

"What, so stealing my husband and coming to my home isn't enough? Now you have to drive my car and stalk me at my workplace?"

The blonde haired father looked up abruptly, obviously surprised to see his daughter's teacher so angry.

"Save it, Haley. Not everything revolves around you." Brooke flipped her dark brown hair. "Since you obviously need to know everything about me; I'll have you know I was dropping my daughter off at school."

As the crowd grew thicker, several other parents turned around to eavesdrop and one covered her son's ears.

Haley narrowed her eyes. "Oh, I see. In between screwing my husband, you've made an attempt to be a good mother. Funny how you couldn't do that without _my_ husband."

"He's your husband; not mine. And if I were you, I'd be trying to hold onto him instead of just giving up."

Brooke passed through the various parents and students as the clack of her high heels faded into the crowd.  
.  
.  
.

Nathan watched as understanding flooded his brother's eyes. Lucas shook his head. "No. Brooke told me she wasn't-"

"Brooke _lied_, Lucas." Nathan shook his head. "You treated her like crap, basically accused her of sleeping with every guy in Tree Hill. What did you expect from her?"

"Not for her to lie about whether or not I have a kid!" Lucas said, his voice oddly high.

Frustrated, Nathan ran a hand roughly through his hair. "You hurt her, Lucas. She wasn't thinking. But come on! Why do you think she disappeared right after that?"

"_Come on_, Nathan," Lucas mimicked, his voice rising, "You're my brother! You should've told me!"

Nathan shook his head sadly, letting his eyes meet Lucas'. "We haven't been brothers in a long time, Lucas."

"Still! You should've told me. I had a right to know!"

He was nearly shouting now. Nathan glanced around, taking in the people who'd stopped to stare. "Listen, Lucas," he said quietly, "Lets just get out of here. We can talk it over. Talk to Brooke."

"Why should I believe anything either of you say anyway?" Lucas shouted, opening a freezer door and slamming it shut.

"Luc..." Nathan trailed off as he watched Lucas storm away. Leaning his head against the freezer, he sighed. "Brooke's going to kill me."  
.  
.  
.

When Nathan returned to Brooke's after work, the air was thick with tension. He ascended the stairs to the sitting room silently, and by the time he reached the top, he knew she knew.

Her back was to him but he could tell by the way she was gripping her coffee mug so tightly her knuckles had turned white.

"Hi?" he ventured, unable to mask the guilt in his voice.

Brooke turned toward him slowly, her eyes hurt and betrayed. "I got an interesting phone call from Lucas a few hours ago," she started softly, raising her gaze to meet his.

"Oh." Nathan shoved his hands into his pockets, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot.

"It seems you ran into him at the grocery store," Brooke continued, her voice quivering slightly. "Do you know what he told me?"

"Um..." Nathan bit his cheek nervously, casting his gaze on the floor.

"It's okay. I'll tell you," Brooke said, the calmness of her voice unnerving Nathan. "He told me that you told him Elissa was his daughter."

"Yeah. Um, I'm sorry, Brooke. I didn't think-"

She shook her head, standing up. "No, you didn't," she said, walking over to him slowly and squaring her shoulders, "If you had, you would've realized there was a reason I hadn't told him in the past nine years."

"Brooke..."

She shook her head slightly. "See, Nathan. My relationship with Lucas was one of the hardest times in my life. It's not something I like to think about." A tear slipped down her cheek as she leveled her gaze to his. "Elissa's the one good thing I have from that, the one good thing that wasn't Lucas' to take. And now... that's all changed."

Nathan gulped as she turned and walked away, leaving the room gracefully. "I'm sorry," he said softly as she disappeared from view, shaking his head. "I didn't mean to."  
.  
.  
.


	4. Blast from the Past

Kingdom for a Kiss by bibleboymary4ever and indiansummer.   
Disclaimer: We have no affiliations with Warner Bros. Television Production, One Tree Hill or Tollin/Robbins Productions. Nor do we own any name brands or cars mentioned in this. pause Well, we may own a car, but not the company.   
Author's Note: We have been busy working on TreeHillHigh dot net which will relaunch on Friday, June 24. The next chapter will be up very soon as it is almost done.

* * *

When he had asked Haley to marry him, Nathan had thought he had it all—his own apartment, a coveted spot on the varsity basketball team and a bright future with the girl who promised she would love him forever. It turned out that was easier said than done.

So when Brooke Davis had called him begging for a ride to the airport, his first instinct had been to shrug it off. After all, she hadn't been there for him since before Lucas joined the team and everything had changed. But something in her voice had made him stop and relent.

He realized why when he reached her house and saw her surrounded by leather luggage and cardboard boxes. Brooke was a mess. Her face was makeup free and her hair loose, bloodshot eyes and blotchy skin giving away the fact that she had been crying.

Nathan helped her load the bags into the trunk of the car before asking what to do with the boxes. "They won't fit, " he added as he glanced at the boxes strewn across her front lawn. There had to be at least twenty of them.

"Yeah, I know. They're being shipped tomorrow." Brooke's voice was quiet and without her usual pep.

Nathan nodded and they climbed into the front of the car. "Why are they outside now then? I thought it was supposed to rain tonight…"

"Um."

"Brooke?" Nathan cocked an eyebrow expectantly at her as he turned onto the freeway.

"You have to promise not to tell anyone."

"Okay," Nathan sighed.

"Seriously. Like not even tutor girl."

"Why not?"

"Because! She'll tell Lucas and he'll tell Peyton and they'll launch some retarded expedition to kidnap me and take me back to Tree Hill. Seeing them together? And going back to Tree Hill? Definitely tied for number one on Brooke's never do again list."

"Okay, I get the point. I won't tell anyone why you have cardboard boxes on your lawn—if you ever get around to telling me anyway."

"MymomsortakickedmeoutandIlikehavetogotoLondonandgolivewithmydad."

"What?"

"My Mom kicked me out so I'm going to live with my Dad."

"In London?" The divorce of Alec and Kim Davis had been the talk of the Tree Hill a year and a half ago, and it was no secret that Alec had moved across the ocean to get away from his ex-wife. Nathan choose not to question why Brooke's mother would kick her out- it wasn't a secret Brooke Davis was no angel.

"Yeah." Brooke stared out the window. She didn't want to talk to anyone, at least not right now.

"No shit!" She quickly swished her ponytail around as she glanced at his stunned expression. Nathan continued, "Like six months ago, my Mom signed me up for some foreign exchange program thing. I'm going to London for the second and third trimesters."

"Oh."

Nathan grinned and expected to see Brooke's dimples flashing back at him. Maybe there was a bright side to leaving Haley for six months. After all, no one knew how to have fun like Brooke did.

"You can't come see me, okay?"

"Why not?" Nathan's fantasies of wild nights with Brooke in London vanished.

"You just can't, okay?"

As Nathan pulled onto the highway, Brooke leaned toward Nathan. "I hope I can trust you," she whispered. "Don't tell them."

And he promised himself he wouldn't.

The half hour drive to New Brunswick County Airport passed too quickly. Brooke snuck a glance at Nathan out of the corner of her eye as he pulled into a parking space.

They'd fallen into an uncomfortable silence nearly twenty minutes ago; Brooke because she had nothing more she wanted to say and Nathan because he knew she did.

Brooke pursed her lips as Nathan turned off the car. "Thanks," she said quietly, forcing herself to smile, "For everything, I mean."

Nathan drummed his hand against the steering wheel and looked at her. "I'm going in with you," he said decisively.

Brooke opened her mouth to protest, but Nathan didn't give her a chance. "C'mon, Brooke, like you can carry all these bags in yourself, anyway?"

Brooke heaved a sigh. "Fine."

Nathan nodded, popping open his door. "Are you sure there's nothing else you want to tell me?"

Brooke bit her lip as she unbuckled her seatbelt. 'I'm sixteen and I'm going to be a mother. Your asshole of a brother left me pregnant. I need your help.' Brooke shook her head. "No."

Nathan stared at her for a moment before nodding. "Okay."

Brooke watched as he got out of the car before letting her head hit the back of the passenger seat. It was weird to think so much could happen in the space of a year.

Nathan glanced up at the gray sign, the words 'Departure Gates 1-10' written in block lettering. "I guess this is where we say goodbye," he muttered, glancing at the girl he used to consider his best friend.

Brooke nodded, picking her carryon up off the floor. "Yeah, I guess so."

"If you need anything..."

"Just call. I know." Brooke offered Nathan a half-smile. "I'll be fine."

Nathan nodded. "You always are."

"Yeah..." Brooke trailed off, her expression suddenly serious, as she searched Nathan's eyes. "Nathan, promise you won't tell anyone about this."

Nathan sighed. Once he and Brooke had been best friends- friends who didn't keep anything from each other. And now he had no idea what was going on in her life. "About what?"

Brooke smirked. "Thanks." She shifted uncomfortably, obviously unsure about how to say goodbye. "I'll keep in touch," she said, awkwardly holding out her hand.

Nathan took her hand and made to shake it, but instead pulled Brooke to him, wrapping his arms around her in a bear hug. "I'm going to miss you, Pooh Bear."

"I'll miss you, too, Christopher Robin," Brooke murmured against his shirt.

Nathan squeezed her shoulders and kissed the crown of her head before pulling away. "I don't want to make you miss your plane."

Brooke nodded, tears in her eyes. "Thank you," she said again, taking a step backward toward the gate. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

Nathan nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat. He watched as Brooke disappeared from his sight before turning away. There was something oddly permanent about this.

Flying economy class was new to Brooke, but the arrangements had been made in such haste that 20F was the only available seat on the departing plane.

She glanced at the woman sitting next to her. She'd introduced herself as Aimee, and was probably only a few years older than Brooke herself. Her hair was long and dark, and there was something oddly vacant about her gaze. Ten minutes into the flight, though, Aimee had put on her headphones and halted any attempt at further conversation.

Brooke cleared her throat loudly and Aimee glanced at her, an eyebrow raised. She removed the headphones hesitantly, glancing at Brooke suspiciously. "What?"

Her voice was pleasant enough, Brooke figured. "Have you ever been to London before?"

Aimee shook her head. "Nah. I just needed an escape from New Brunswick. You?"

Brooke sighed. "Same here, only Tree Hill."

Aimee scrunched her nose up. "Tree Hill? That's that snotty rich town like, forty minutes away, isn't it?"

Brooke laughed despite herself. "Yeah."

"Oh." Aimee frowned, cocking her head to look at Brooke. "You look like crap. No offense."

"None taken," Brooke muttered. "I feel like crap."

Aimee frowned. "Nothing left for you in Tree Hill, huh?"

"Why would you assume that?"

Aimee's laugh was oddly harsh. "Well, Brooke, this is the plane of heartbreak. Just look around you. No one in their right mind takes a redeye flight to London on a Monday, y'know?"

Brooke sighed, then nodded slowly. "Yeah. I guess you're right."

Aimee smirked. "Of course I am," she said, holding up a hand and flagging down a flight attendant. "Can I have something to drink? Anything with alcohol?" she asked the stewardess, taking out her ID. Turning to Brooke, she added, "Do you want anything."

Brooke shook her head quickly.

"Oh, you're one of those."

"One of what?"

"The good girls. You wake up one day and realize the world's not perfect and you can't deal. Loss of innocence is hard on your type, huh?" The words were harsh, but Aimee's tone was oddly soothing.

Brooke shook her head. "No, I'm the other type."

Aimee frowned. "What's that?"

"The girl who gets cheated on by her boyfriend with her best friend and then finds out she's pregnant." It felt oddly good to get it out, even if it was just to some random girl she'd met on a plane.

Aimee sucked in her breath and then shook her head. "Damn."

Brooke nodded. "Yeah. Damn."


End file.
